An interesting question came up today: Where does it say that a glass wall needs to prevent a person from falling through it? It appears this isn’t a requirement. CPSC 16 CFR 1201.1 and ANSI Z97.1 have clear requirements about preventing injury upon breaking of the glass, but I’m not finding any codes stating that glazing needs to prevent someone from falling through. I can imagine why, but would love some further input on this.
building codes absolutely require glass to meet specific safety standards in locations where a person could fall through it, such as near stairways, balconies, or floors.
Impact and Fall Resistance:
Glass in guards or railings must pass impact resistance tests (e.g., ASTM E2353, ANSI Z97.1, or CPSC 16 CFR Part 1201).
Laminated glass is typically required in situations where breakage could lead to a fall, because it holds together even when shattered.
Relevant Codes:
IBC Section 2407 (Glass in guards and railings)
ASTM E2353, CPSC 16 CFR 1201 Category II, and others specify post-breakage behavior.
Example: A tempered glass balcony panel can shatter into small pieces and fall out, which is unsafe. But laminated glass, which has a plastic interlayer, remains intact and in place, preventing a fall.
The requirement is stipulated in the safety glazing section of the IBC, Section 2406.
Within that section, Section 2406.4 identifies locations where safety glazing is required. For glass walls, the applicable conditions would be in Section 2406.4.2, 2406.4.3, 2406.4.6, and 2406.4.7, depending on where the glass walls are used.
If used at an exterior wall, room divider, or corridor wall, then it would likely fall under Section 2406.4.3.
Thank you both. I’ll see if my client has considered Section 2406. Hopefully they have!
Upon further reading, CPSC CFR 1201 Category I and II products applies to doors and enclosures adjacent to doors. The IBC Section 2406 identifies required locations for “safety glazing” along walls which includes tempered glass. It does not state that laminated glass is required to prevent someone from falling through should the glass break. The curtainwall around an office building is a good example - do all of the floor-to-ceiling insulated glazing units in a conference room or an office space, for example, need to be insulated laminated? These glass panels are not adjacent to doors, they’re not corridors nor are they within 3 feet of a walking space. Just trying to make extra sure here as we’ve had an incident in a high school where a large glass wall panel shattered (it was tempered). This may be a question for a code reviewer, but any insight is appreciated.
Floor-to ceiling glass panels must be safety glazing, per IBC 2406.4.3. Whether tempered or laminated should be discussed with the owner. If tempered, may want to consider heat-soaking.
Tempered glass is about half the price of laminated glass of the same thickness. In most cases, tempered will be sufficient. AHJ may require laminated in certain situations where a cursory reading of the code might permit tempered.
Laminated glass is also often chosen for its acoustical insulation value.